Kids Show Off Riding Skills at Island Horse Show

Claire Dunnigan may have lost her dollar during the Ride-A-Buck contest, but that didn’t keep her from wearing a smile as she headed toward the gate.

Young horse riders enjoyed themselves and showed off some impressive skills at the 5th Annual Fun & Games Horse Show Sunday, August 7. The show was planned, organized, and executed by youth on the Island, who also provided the majority of participants.

Emily St. Onge, one of the principal organizers, said that the show doesn’t require too much work for the kids.

“The first year, we made ribbons for everyone, and that took a long time, but now it’s just coming up with ideas,” said Ms. St. Onge.

Morgan Brodeur-Bunker manuevers Blue Moon around the Great Turtle Park Horse Ring in the Ride-A-Buck event. Ride-A-Buck required riders to sit their horse bareback and hold a dollar bill under one knee.

She, along with several of her friends, came up with the different events for the show, based on prior shows and a little creative thinking. Events included Ride-A-Buck, where riders placed a dollar bill under their knees and then rode their horses bareback; tack race, which required riders to saddle their horses before racing; catalog race, which involved ripping a specific page out of a catalog before running the horse back, and a series of more traditional events, such as poles, barrel racing, and relay racing.

Many of the youth will also be participating in the 35th Annual Horse Show Sunday, August 14, at Great Turtle Park. The horse show is sponsored by the Mackinac Horsemen’s Association.

This year’s show will offer 29 competitions in various classes and age groups. Moira Martinchek of Charlevoix will judge the show and proceeds will benefit the Horsemen’s Association and the Mackinac 4-H Horse Club. The first class of the day will be Showmanship and Grooming at 9 a.m.

Fun & Games Horse Show Winners

Ride-A-Buck

8-12 Year Olds

1st Place - Christie Gough

2nd Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker

3rd Place - Blake Ruddle

4th Place - Austin Ruddle

13-18 Year Olds

1st Place - Emily St. Onge

2nd Place - Veronica Gough

3rd Place - Gabrielle Salerno

4th Place - Claire Dunnigan

Tack Race

8-12 Year Olds

1st Place - Austin Ruddle

2nd Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker

3rd Place - Blake Ruddle

4th Place - Hailey Bean

13-18 Year Olds

1st Place-Veronica Gough

2nd Place - Christina McLean

3rd Place - Claire Dunnigan

4th Place - Kate Dupre

Catalog Race

8-12 Year Olds

1st Place - Christi Gough

2nd Place - Diana Dupre and Joe Rogers

3rd - Austin Ruddle

4th Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker

13-18 Year Olds

1st Place - Veronica Gough

2nd Place - Burton Gough

3rd Place - Katie Dupre and Claire Dunnigan

4th Place - Emily St. Onge

Adult

1st Place - Josh Schwab

2nd Place - Devon Brooks

3rd Place - Brianna Schooley

4th Place - Josh Schwab

Down & Back

7 & Under

1st Place - Mackenzie Bean

8-12 Year Olds

1st Place - Christie Gough

2nd Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker and Austin Ruddle

3rd Place - Blake Ruddle

4th Place - Diana Dupre

13-18 Year Olds

1st Place - Veronica Gough, Burton Gough and Emily St. Onge

2nd Place - Katie Dupre and Christina McLean

3rd Place - Gabrielle Salerno

4th Place - Claire Dunnigan

Adult

1st Place - Devon Brooks

2nd Place - Josh Schwab

Poles

7 & Under

1st Place - MacKenzie Bean

8-12 Year Olds

1st Place - Christie Gough

2nd Place - Austin Ruddle

3rd Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker

4th Place - Diana Dupre

13-18 Year Olds

1st Place - Veronica Gough

2nd Place - emily St. Onge

3rd Place - Christina McLean

4th Place - Burton Gough

Adult

1st Place - Josh Schwab

Relay Race

1st Place - Veronica Gough and Christina McLean

2nd Place - Jesse Jones and Emily St. Onge, Devon Brooks & Burton Gough, Veronica Gough and Josh Schwab

3rd Place - Austin Ruddle and Gabrielle Salerno

4th Place - Austin Ruddle and Christie Gough

5th Place - Blake Ruddle and MacKenzie Bean

6th Place - Hailey Bean and Diana Dupre

Barrel Race

7 & Under

1st Place - MacKenzie Bean

8-12 Year Olds

1st Place - Hailey Bean

2nd Place - Austin Ruddle

3rd Place - Diana Dupre

4th Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker

13-18 Year Olds

1st Place - Veronica Gough

2nd Place - Burton Gough

3rd Place - Diana Dupre

4th Place - Morgan Brodeur-Bunker

Adult

1st Place - Devon Brooks

2nd Place - Josh Schwab